Tuesday, December 31, 2013

I have no excuse. I have officially been on Christmas Break from school for more than a week now and still I have been loathe to blog. Jojo Daniele is here with me and so, as is my want, I may just shift the blame to her. She's the reason I don't blog - she just keeps me so busy. On this lazy New Year's Eve Day though, she suggested we run our morning errands and then hole up in a coffee shop and have a writing day. Here we are then and instead of writing and blogging I spent the first hour or two re-opening a Facebook account. I don't loathe blogging, I loathe myself. I have been keeping busy though and thus the following is a quick photo recap of my many pursuits these past few days. Oh, and Merry Christmas/Happy New Year from Jojo, the youth of Laureles and myself. It certainly doesn't feel like Christmastime, what with the 80 degree weather, but I suppose it's the right thing to do (send the Yuletide greetings that is).

Jojo with her "sister" Dariana.

Trying out heels.

Not sure how I feel about that.

Chucu, Norman, Gina and Me up in the mountains on a cloudy Saturday afternoon.

Jojo tried having a convo with the Macaw.

The Macaw won.

Darwin, child number 7 of 8 in Marta's family.

Love this child.

Completely and Absolutely.

A random cousin of Duk's.

He insisted that I take his photo.

I did and then picked him up and threatened to carry him off to the U.S.

He cried.

I love children.

Dariana on her birthday back in November.

Mateo, child number 8 of 8 in Marta's family.

I do not love him completely.

Perhaps one of the most obnoxious children that I have ever met.

He carries the name well.

He tried burning his mother's shoes.

Me on Christmas Day.

We spent the night there on the 24th and when I woke up at Duk's house they had coffee waiting for me.

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

One of my very favorite people of all time, Carlos Jose Ucles Ferrufino (affectionately known as Chucu), turned 14 the other day. I may not be in the community on a daily basis but I still keep my birthday calendar up-to-date and attempt to celebrate, or at the very least acknowledge, the many birthdays that come down the pike each month. Chucu though is special; he is bright, intelligent, always with a smile and quick to lend a hand. He exudes innocence and an innate sense of justice; he won my heart the day I met him back in 2009 and he's become part of the core group of Laureles folk that I trust and rely on. That said then, when his birthday came around we gathered together in his home, his mother made baleadas for the guests and we shared cake, coke and laughs. It was a lovely mid-week evening with even lovelier company.

Chucu y Mateo

Probably the only good photo taken all night.(even in spite of the two middle-fingers being thrown up behind my left shoulder)

The rest of the photos on my camera, as taken by Chucu's older brother Tati, were of various relatives and neighbors, all of whom seemed to be in varying stages of Bell's Palsy or outright Shock.

Eduardo, a random cousin and neighbor.

His palsy is barely noticeable but certainly beginning to take effect.

Josep, another cousin.

His too is just coming on.

This random, fatherless child, who was not related to anyone there as far as I could tell, had the nervous habit of repeatedly saluting people. I'm not making this up; I have 3 different photos as taken by Tati, and in everyone this little war-monger is saluting the camera.

About Me

I am a follower of Jesus, lover of all things Honduran and a native of Central Pennsylvania. My physical location is less than fixed and permanent but my heart and mind is ever-present in La Ceiba, Honduras.